Waratahs 2015

[Bairdy]

Payto and Panda

Several Waratahs stalwarts have been rewarded for the roles in the 2014 premiership triumph by coach Michael Cheika. Reserve half-back Brendan McKibbin and prop Jeremy Tilse have signed new deals; with the latter entering his ninth year at the Tahs.

Snip

Sydney Uni and Stars winger James Dargaville was labelled “ready to go” at Super Rugby level by coach Chris Malone, and he soon could be.
The hard-running back is being pursued by both the Waratahs and the Brumbies.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...tanau-off-market/story-fnp0m104-1227055805416

 

[Hawko]

Given his brother seems to hold a lot of sway with his career, and his brother is in QLD, I'd say the reds are the front runners to sign him. Given his mum had to move back to tonga because Auckland was too cold, I'd say Canberra is out

He will be living with his brother from what I saw, who is in QLD. So a potential star prop goes to the franchise synonymous with bad scrummaging. Not clever.

 

[TOCC]

He will be living with his brother from what I saw, who is in QLD. So a potential star prop goes to the franchise synonymous with bad scrummaging. Not clever.

Yep, it's been a massive hindrance for James Slipper

 

[Inside Shoulder]

Isn't that the point, no one says he's ready for Super Rugby but he's a talent that needs development. You need to lock him down else someone else snaps him up and when he's good he's unavailable.

But he's being signed as a prop on the basis of a highlights reel in which he scores 50m tries.
Unless there's secret vision of him scrummaging the shit out of other 17 year olds ( which is not allowed)!there seems to be no basis for thinking he will become a good, let alone a great, prop.
This is oz rugby muddled thinking #1.
A prop must first be able to scrummage - bookmark this post for review this Sunday morning.

 

[RugbyReg]

You don't honestly think that all this recruitment buzz is solely on the basis of a YouTube highlights clip?

There is no doubt in the world that the reds, and the other teams chasing him, have seen full matches either recorded or live. They've probably spoken to him, his family and his coaches.

To think otherwise is naive.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

You don't honestly think that all this recruitment buzz is solely on the basis of a YouTube highlights clip?

There is no doubt in the world that the reds, and the other teams chasing him, have seen full matches either recorded or live. They've probably spoken to him, his family and his coaches.

To think otherwise is naive.

You must be right.
Their track record in this area impeccable.
Not naive - cynical.
In cases like this the old "no one ever got sacked for buying IBM" management mantra is applicable, as disclosed by qwerty's post:
http://www.greenandgoldrugby.com/community/threads/waratahs-2015.14177/page-31#post-661031

 

[USARugger]

Why is it suddenly weird and somehow a bad thing that a Super Rugby franchise has recruited a talented young player into their Wider Training group?

This happens every single year.

The notion that people who do professional sports scouting for a living are telling their franchise to throw a 5-figure contract at a kid based on a minute-and-thirty-seconds on Youtube is just laughable.

Even more-so if you actually pay any level of attention to the clips and realize they come from a fully recorded match..that sort of just blows that entire notion completely out of the water.

He's clearly a supremely talented athlete and if you want to go show me where all the grizzled 17-18 year old scrummaging veterans are hiding I'll eat my own foot.

Cynicism is one thing, you're crossing the line into hyperbole.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

Why is it suddenly weird and somehow a bad thing that a Super Rugby franchise has recruited a talented young player into their Wider Training group?

This happens every single year.

The notion that people who do professional sports scouting for a living are telling their franchise to throw a 5-figure contract at a kid based on a minute-and-thirty-seconds on Youtube is just laughable.

Even more-so if you actually pay any level of attention to the clips and realize they come from a fully recorded match..that sort of just blows that entire notion completely out of the water.

He's clearly a supremely talented athlete and if you want to go show me where all the grizzled 17-18 year old scrummaging veterans are hiding I'll eat my own foot.

Cynicism is one thing, you're crossing the line into hyperbole.

"unless" - see that in the original post?
And when you say "talented": other than the video what basis have you got for that adjective? And if thats your basis how does the video tell you anything about his other abilities.
To question the wisdom of signing a schoolboy front rower to a s15 franchise is hardly hyperbole.
I remain cynical and Tilse remains a Tah.

 

[Intruder]

Especially with Cat from memory in his final year of his ARU Top up next season. Tilse was a signing that needed to be done. He very rarely has let the Tahs down when his played his just unlucky that Robinson was one of the World's best LHP at the time. Now that the 'Thor' is headed North Alalaatoa will be a lock in now for the third THP position. Also heard a little rumour that Manly and Aus U20's LHP Rory O'Connor will nab a EPS spot next season.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

Alalaatoa - v good

 

[Intruder]

Looks like Chiek had his eye on another kiwi - Sione Lousi from the Nz Warriors has been granted a release from the Warriors and is expected to join the side next season

 

[Hawko]

Just got a teaser email from Tahs HQ about the draw next year. No preliminary schedule yet, that's due out next week. But it looks like home games will be the Crusaders, Blues, Stormers and Sharks. Having these four at home will be an advantage as the Crusaders, Sharks and Stormers are the best teams in their respective countries. I hope the Crusaders' game is at the SFS because 30-40K roaring Tahs fans in that stadium might just get us home.

That will mean we miss one of the Chiefs, Hurricanes and Highlanders (hopefully the Chiefs) and miss either the Bulls or the Lions (we missed the Cheetahs in 2014).

Without seeing the draw, that looks pretty good for the defence of our title and could help us go back to back (so too would signing Brodie Retallick - ha ha).

 

[Jagman]

From what I can piece together it goes like this:
2011 Waratahs didn't play Stormers Hurricanes
2012 Lions Blues
2013 Sharks Highlanders
2014 Cheetahs Crusaders

that means 2015 they miss Bulls and Chiefs

Because it's the last season in a 5 year cycle you can actually work it out. Also the teams you noted as the home games all played their last game against the Tahs (finals excluded) on their home soil so that makes sense too.

 

[qwerty51]

I don't know about this Lousi guy, seems like he's got Skelton attributes and don't think we need 2 of those.

 

[Jagman]

I don't know about this Lousi guy, seems like he's got Skelton attributes and don't think we need 2 of those.

24 and never seems to have played rugby before. Gotta give Chieka the benefit of the doubt but it's a little bizaar

 

[qwerty51]

He's a Kiwi so you'd assume some rugby during school maybe.

 

[GunnerDownUnder]

Its Sam his brother that is signing.

 

[Jagman]

According to wikipedia he grew up in a rugby league school in Auckland

 

[Jagman]

198cm I guess he's gonna be a lock, how long did it take Brad Thorn to master the set piece?

 

[GunnerDownUnder]

He's a Kiwi so you'd assume some rugby during school maybe.

They both went to a league school, he is a big unit and does well in most games I've seen. Never made it at NRL level, unlike his brother, but has looked decent in games I've seen him in.
Will be on foxtel sunday I think.